Seevice box for switches



Oct. 30 1923.

A. BRILL SERVICE BOX PQR SWITCHES Filed July 6. 1921 Guam,

Patented Oct. 30, i923.

UNITED STATES BRAM BRILL, 0F SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

Application tiled July 6,

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, Armani BRLLL, a citi zen of thc United States of America, residing at Spartanburg, iii the4 county of 6 Spartanburg and State oi South Carolina. have invented certain new :ind useful lin provements in Service Boxes for Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention. relates to certain new and 10 useful improvements in service boxes for switches wherein the main switches of a circuit in house wiring are concealed within the service box with cooperating devices carried by the switch and serviec `ox for holding the cover of the box in a locked position, when the switch is closed.

, A further ,object l of the invention has reference to a service box for electric switches whereby the hinged lid of the box ,and the switch cooperate` with each other to hold the box lid in a closed position when the switch ,'s closed, theA box lid being only capable of moving to an open position when the switch is`open. l 4

The invention haspfurther vreference to a service box for electric switches wherein the hinged cover of the `switch box and the switch member are cooperatively constructed to form.. a lookin nieaiisgfor ,the ,box cover v when the switch is closed, with tension devices associated withthe switeh'member for holding .the same; in`a` setlposition when opened to permit th opening movement of theboxcoverto obtain access to the interior of the box and theV switch for purposes of testingor otherwise; j

A still further object of the invention embodies a Servicebox for switches capable of; -being mounted upon the surface of a 40 4wall or countersunk therein for a flush .member. E

With these Ueneral objects' in view and 4 as the nature of the y`fin`v`e1`ition`f1s better 46'- consistsv in Vthe novel construction, combination," 'and arrangement of1 ,parts hereinafter ',i'norefull-y described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand then claimed. In theidra'vvings forminga part of this 50 application, and in which ike designating characters r refer to corresponding parts throughout theA several views, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of i the service boxffor electric switches constructed in accordance with the present. inveiition showing thc. handle extension of understood, the same' SERVICE BOX FOR SWITCHES.

1921. Serial No. 482,650.

the switch blade moved to an open position to permit opening movement of the cover,

Figure c is ri longitudinal sectional view of the service box showingr by dotted lines the switch in closed position, and in opcn position by full lines with seals for rctaining the switch in open position and for locking thc cover to the box,

Figure l is :i detail sectional vieu' taken oii lino lll-lil of Fig. l, showing the pivotal mounting of the switch blade handle,

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the switch blade and head detiched from the box,

Figure 5 is :i front elevational view of another form of the service box designed for countersunk or flush mounting showing the hinged door for the service box disposed within the box frame, and

Figure G is a side elevational view of the box showing the flush mounting.

In the art to which this invention relates i it has heretofore been customary to position the operating handles for the switches through thc sides of the box, this disposition of the switch handles restricting the mounting of the service box upon the surface of a wall or other support, and further necessitating sufficient space between adjacent boxes to rovide a clearance for the movement of the switch handles.

It is now required that service boxes Vfor switches be operated exteriorly from the outer Vface side of the box with a safety device or loci: for the box to prevent the box from being opened when the switchiis in a closed position. The present invention desi ed to meet these re uirements has a han le extension attached to the switch blade projecting through a hinged cover on the box, the box being only slightly modified to permit a flush mounting thereof with the surface of a wall or for a surface mounting. It is intended to employ the present type of service box and provide a key slot in the hinoed cover thereof through which the handle extension of the switch blade projects, the handle extension being designed for free movement through the slot for operating the switch with the handle cooperating with the box cover to provide a lock for the cover when the switch is in a. closed osition and only permitting the cover o the box to be moved to an open position when the switch is opened. When :i service box is out of service and the switch moved to an open positiomthe handle extension of the switch is locked in an open position while the cover is also locked to the box b v lead seals or other devices. TenA sioned means is associated with the handle extension of the switch member and operates to hold the switch in a closed position and also in a fixed open )osition to present the outer end of the hand e for passage through the enlarged end of the key slot in t e box covering.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 there is illustrated a. service hox rmbodying a rear wall 11 side and cnd walls 2, and a cover wall 3 havingr down-turned Ranges 4 enclosingr the side walls of the box with cooperating ears 5 carried by the Hanges and opposite side walls of the box with the rivet 6 connecting the ears to forni a hinged connection between the box and cover. To prevent tampering with the interior mechanism of the service box, the wire 7 of a lead seal or other securing device ispassed through the cover and side wall of the box as shown in Figs. 1 and Q while a handle 8 attached to the free swinging end of the cover is adapted" to be `grasped lo move the cover toan o pen or. closed position.

The switch' mechanism within the casing embodies a block 9 connected to the service wire and' carrying swithpontacts 10 and a fuse 11, switch blades 12' beingr hinged as at 13 to a pair of'contacts' 1Q Jas'shown. n'Fig. 2 with the upper 4endfslthereof bent outwardly as' at n12" to provide. L1-Support for the end extensions 13V of the` Vvl'gshiiped head 14 formed' of' non-condttc'tings material. The

Vliii'rged'enter end lfv'vhile the sections 16 opposite the'enla'rged end 'are bent in oppo- A site directions to extend :in thesalne plane as Vindicated at 1S, said Sections IS being further bts at 19: at right'an'gles, with the lerminiil ends thereof pivotlly ,supported asy n.19' Vin the opposite 516111l wallse ofthe im, this 'construction being clearlfy' shown -in Figs. 1 and 3l `r i Asshrovvnv in F igs. l and?. thee-over 3 of the box is provided with an elongated key hole T- s'haped slot 20 havi'nv an enlarged end- 21 Vthrough which slot and enlarged end the udicent sections 16 and enlarged ond 17 of the. handle project', said handle being freely movable throuofh the slot for the operation of the switchfit being understood that' the adjacent sections 16 of the switch project through the transveisc slotl of the Tshaped head as shown in Figs. 2 and l,

so that movement of the switch handle will .shift the head and the. switch blades 12 carried thereby for moving the switch blades lo either their open or closed positions.

As shown in Figs. 1 and i a pair of springs 22 are associated with lhe right angle extensions 19 of the switch handle, Said springs being connected at their adjacent ends to the pin 23 projecting inward- 1y from one of the extensions 19 and further anchored at their outer ends to pins 24 secured to the adjacent side wall o1' the box.r the mounting of the springs being such that one of the springs will he thrown bevond the dead center when the switch blades` 12 are moved to their closed position so Lo hold the switch While the two springs will counteract the force ot' each` other when the handle moves the switch to open position to present the handle adjacent the enlarged end 21 of the slot 2() to permit the cover to be opened.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the side flanges 4 extend at right angles to the Side Walls Q of the box for a conntersunk `or flush mounting within the Wall 2521s illustrated. In this form of the invention the hinged cover or door 3 is monnted u on hinges 26 and is maintained in a locke condition by the switch handle 16 cooperating with the slot 20 While, a. lug 27 carried by the box and projecting through an opening in the cover 3 receives a seal similar to the seal 7 shown in the preferred form'.

"When the Service box is disconnected from the ele'ctric current'the handle 16 is locked liti an open position, the knob 8 in each form ofthe inventionbeingrprovided with e Side opening 8' for' the reception' of the 'seely 7 'Ylfifththisdevice'7 the resent'type of service boxniay he'elnploed) tomeet a'llreqhire- 'mlen'tsb providing n slot in the cover of the box iin e hndle extension ,for the switch blade while the handle extension projecting through the cover of the box at the front side thereof will 'permit the mounting of an increasednumlier' of boxes in a restricted area as contrasted bythe side'positi'oning of the handles projecting through the sidejwalls of the box.

From the above detailed description it is believed that the' constrnctionfand operation ofthe service bo'xwill 'be readily understood, it being noted howeverv that'thehandle -for the'sn'itch blades cooperates with the box cover to hold the. cover in locked position when the switch is closed, and the springs associated with the' halndleV tending to hold the switch blades end handle in a, closed position and further presenting the handle at the enlarged end of the cover slot when the switch is in an open position to permit the opening of the box cover.

lVhile, the form of the, invention herein iso shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that various forms, modifications and arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Vhat I claim as new is l. In combination1 a service box having a hinged cover with a slot in the cover pro vided with an enlarged end, a switch disposed in the box, said switch embodying an insulated head having a slot therein1 and a. handle extension pivoted to said box and extending through said switch head slot and the cover slot adapted to hold the cover in a closed position when disposed at one end ot' the slot with the switch closed and to permit opening movement of the cover when moved to the enlarged end of the slot with the switch in open position. tension means associated with the handle extension tor holding the switch in closed position and further holding the switch handle extension in a position adjacent the 'enlarged end of the slot.

2. In combination, a service box having a switch disposed therein, a hinged cover provided with a keyhole shaped slotwsaid switch embodying a pair of blades, an insulating head carried by said blades and having a transverse slot therein, a handle extension embodying a pair of parallel sections extending through the said head slot, and lateral extensions journaled in the side walls of the box, the parallel sections extending through the keyhole-shaped slot in the cover and an enlarged head carried by the outer ends of the parallel sections cooperating with said slot to hold the cover in a closed position when the head is at the reduced end of the slot and to permit opening movement of the cover when the head is at the enlarged end of the slot.

3. In combination, a service box, a switch disposed therein5 a hinged cover for the box having a lrey-hole-shaped slot therein, an insulated head substantially rectangular in plan view and longitudinally curved carried by the switch and having a transverse slot therein adjacent the outer end, and a handle extension embodying side arms pivoted in the side walls of the box and slidably extending through the switch head slot and cover slot for controlling movement of the cover relative to the open and closed positions of the switch.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

ABRAM BRILL. 

